ceres country profile - mongolia

7/30/2019 CERES Country Profile - Mongolia

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Country in a Box:

MongoliaMongol uls

A Teachers Guide

Compiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown Universityhttp://ceres.georgetown.edu

Genghis Khan Statute at Tsonjin Boldog Geserjav
http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/


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Mongolia in a Box: Table of Contents

Facts at a Glance 3-7

History of the Mongols 8-10

Timeline of Major Events in Mongolian History 11

Mongolian Culture 12-14

Folklore: Morin-Khuur 15

Additional Resources 16

Mongolian Ger (Yurt)

Chinzorig


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Mongolia: Facts at a Glance_______Text and map taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Mongolia.Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mg.html

Country Name:Mongolia

Capital:Ulaanbaatar

Background: The Mongolsgained fame in the 13th centurywhen under Chinggis KHAANthey established a huge Eurasianempire through conquest. Afterhis death the empire was dividedinto several powerful Mongolstates, but these broke apart in the14th century. The Mongolseventually retired to their originalsteppe homelands and in the late17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Sovietbacking and a communist regime was installed in 1924. The modern country of Mongolia,however, represents only part of the Mongols' historical homeland; more ethnic Mongolians livein the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China than in Mongolia.Following a peaceful democratic revolution, the ex-communist Mongolian People'sRevolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated by theDemocratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. The MPRP won an

overwhelming majority in the 2000 parliamentary election, but the party lost seats in the 2004election and shared power with democratic coalition parties from 2004-08. The MPRP regained asolid majority in the 2008 parliamentary elections but nevertheless formed a coalitiongovernment with the Democratic Party that lasted until January 2012. In 2009, current PresidentELBEGDORJ of the Democratic Party was elected to office and was re-elected for his secondterm in June 2013. In 2010, the MPRP voted to retake the name of the Mongolian People's Party(MPP), a name it used in the early 1920s. Shortly thereafter, a new party was formed by formerpresident ENKHBAYAR, which adopted the MPRP name. In the 2012 Parliamentary elections,a coalition of four political parties led by the Democratic Party, gained control of the Parliament.

Location: Northern Asia, between China and Russia

Area: Total: 1,564,116 sq kmCountry comparison to the world: 19Land: 1,553,556 sq kmWater: 10,560 sq km

Area - Comparative: Slightly smaller than Alaska


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The flag of Mongolia: Centered on the hoist-side

red band in yellow is the national emblem

("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract

and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon,

earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol); blue

represents the sky, red symbolizes progress and

prosperity

Terrain: Vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest;Gobi Desert in south-central

Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Hoh Nuur 560 mHighest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m

Natural Resources: Oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc,fluorspar, gold, silver, iron

Environment - Current Issues: Limited natural freshwater resources in some areas; the policiesof former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and industrial growth that hadnegative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack ofenforcement of environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation,overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to agricultural production increased soil erosionfrom wind and rain; desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on theenvironment

Population: 2,953,190 (July 2014 est.); Country comparison to the world: 139

Urbanization: Urban population: 68.5% of total population (2011)

Life Expectancy at Birth: Total population: 68.98Country comparison to the world: 158Male: 64.72 yearsFemale: 73.45 years (2014 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Mongol (mostly Khalkh) 81.9%, Kazak 3.8%, Dorvod 2.7%, Bayad 2.1%,Buryat-Bouriates 1.7%, Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1%, Uriankhai 1%, other 4.6% (2010 est.)

Religions: Buddhist 53%, Muslim 3%,Christian 2.2%, Shamanist 2.9%, other 0.4%,none 38.6% (2010 est.)

Education Expenditures:5.6% of GDP(2009); Country comparison to the world: 39

Government Type: ParliamentaryDemocracy

Independence: 11 July 1921 (from China)

Legal System: Civil law system influencedby Soviet and Romano-Germanic legalsystems

Executive Branch: Chief of state: President


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The Togrog: Genghis Khan introduced gold and

silver coins called Sukhes and later, in the year of

1227, introduced the world's first paper money

/banknote into circulation. Mongolian People's

Government released a historic currency reform

act on February 22, 1925 establishing the Togrog.(From:

http://www.mongolbank.mn/eng/listbanknote.aspx?did=1)

Tsakhia Elbegdorj (since 18 June 2009); Head of Government: Prime Minister NorovAltankhuyag (since 9 August 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Dendev Terbishdagva (since 20August 2012)

Legislative Branch: Unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by popular vote

to serve four-year terms

Judicial Branch: Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts butrarely overturns verdicts of lower courts; judges are nominated by the General Council of Courtsand approved by the president)

Political Parties and Leaders: Civil Will-Green Party or CWGP (Sanjaasuren Oyun);Democratic Party or DP (Norov Altanhuyag); Mongolian People's Party or MPP (MiyegomboEnkhbold); Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP (Nambar Enkhbayar)

National Anthem: Name: "Mongol ulsyn toriin duulal" (National Anthem of Mongolia)

lyrics/music: Tsendiin Damdinsuren/Bilegiin Damdinsuren and Luvsanjamts Murjorjnote:music adopted 1950, lyrics adopted 2006; the anthem's lyrics have been altered onnumerous occasions

Economy - Overview: Mongolia's extensive mineral deposits and attendant growth in mining-sector activities have transformed Mongolia's economy, which traditionally has been dependenton herding and agriculture. Mongolia's copper, gold, coal, molybdenum, fluorspar, uranium, tin,and tungsten deposits, among others, haveattracted foreign direct investment. Sovietassistance, at its height one-third of GDP,disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and1991 at the time of the dismantlement of theUSSR. The following decade saw Mongoliaendure both deep recession, because ofpolitical inaction and natural disasters, aswell as economic growth, because of reform-embracing, free-market economics andextensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. The country opened afledgling stock exchange in 1991. Mongoliajoined the World Trade Organization in 1997and seeks to expand its participation inregional economic and trade regimes.Growth averaged nearly 9% per year in2004-08 largely because of high copperprices globally and new gold production. Bylate 2008, Mongolia was hit hard by theglobal financial crisis. Slower globaleconomic growth hurt the country's exports,notably copper, and slashed government revenues. As a result, Mongolia's real economy


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contracted 1.3% in 2009. In early 2009, the International Monetary Fund reached a $236 millionStand-by Arrangement with Mongolia and the country has largely emerged from the crisis withbetter regulations and closer supervision. The banking sector strengthened but weaknessesremain. In October 2009, Mongolia passed long-awaited legislation on an investment agreementto develop the Oyu Tolgoi mine, considered to be among the world's largest untapped copper-

gold deposits. Mongolia's ongoing dispute with a foreign investor over Oyu Tolgoi, however, hascalled into question the attractiveness of Mongolia as a destination for foreign direct investment.Negotiations to develop the massive Tavan Tolgoi coal field also have stalled. The economy hasgrown more than 10% per year since 2010, largely on the strength of commodity exports tonearby countries and high government spending domestically. Mongolia's economy, however,faces near-term economic risks from the government's loose fiscal and monetary policies, whichare contributing to high inflation, and from uncertainties in foreign demand for Mongolianexports. Trade with China represents more than half of Mongolia's total external trade - Chinareceives more than 90% of Mongolia's exports and is Mongolia's largest supplier. Mongolia hasrelied on Russia for energy supplies, leaving it vulnerable to price increases; in the first 11months of 2013, Mongolia purchased 76% of its gasoline and diesel fuel and a substantial

amount of electric power from Russia. A drop in foreign direct investment and a decrease inChinese demand for Mongolia's mineral exports are putting pressure on Mongolia's balance ofpayments. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad, particularly in South Korea, aresignificant.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $17.03 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world:140

GDP - Real Growth Rate: 11.8% (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 6

GDP - Per Capita (PPP): $5,900 (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 152

GDP - Composition by Sector: agriculture16.5%, industry 32.6%, services50.9% (2013 est.)

Labor Force: 1.037 million (2011 est.); Country comparison to the world: 141

Agriculture - Products: Wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels,horses

Industries: Mining; oil; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fibermanufacturing

Current Account Balance: -$3.639 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 162

Exports - Commodities: copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides,

Exports - Partners: China 89%, Canada 4.1% (2012)

Imports - Partners: China 37.5%, Russia 25.6%, US 9.4%, South Korea 6.1%, Japan 4.9%(2012)


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Debt - External: $4.954 billion (31 December 2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 120

Exchange Rates: Togrog/Tugriks (MNT) per US dollar - 1,444.3 (2013 est.)

Military Service Age and Obligation:18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense forces or police; a small portion ofMongolian land forces (2.5 percent) is comprised of contract soldiers;

Military expenditures:1.12% of GDP (2012)Country comparison to the world: 92


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The Origin: Archaeological evidence

places early Stone Age human habitation

in the southern Gobi between 100,000

and 200,000 years ago. By the first

millennium B.C., bronze-working

peoples lived in Mongolia. With the

appearance of iron weapons by the third

century B.C., the inhabitants of

Mongolia had begun to form tribal

alliances and to threaten China. The

origins of more modern inhabitants are

found among the forest hunters and

nomadic tribes of Inner Asia. Theyinhabited a great arc of land extending

generally from the Korean Peninsula in

the east, across the northern tier of China

to the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

and to the Pamir Mountains and Lake

Balkash in the west. During most of

recorded history, this has been an area of

constant ferment from which emerged

numerous migrations and invasions to

the southeast (into China), to the

southwest (into Transoxiana--modern

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, Iran,

and India), and to the west (acrossScythia toward Europe). By the eighth

century B.C., the inhabitants of much of

this region evidently were nomadic Indo-

European speakers, either Scythians or

their kin. Also scattered throughout the

area were many other tribes that were

primarily Mongol in their ethnologic

characteristics.(http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+mn001

3)

Mogolian History_______

Text taken directly from Library of Congress Website:http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/mntoc.html

Genghis Khan: After the migration of the Jurchen, theBorjigin Mongols had emerged in central Mongolia as theleading clan of a loose federation. Temujin (Genghis), by theage of twenty, had become the leader of the Kiyat subclanand by 1196, the unquestioned chief of the BorjiginMongols. Sixteen years of nearly constant warfare followedas Temujin consolidated his power north of the Gobi. Intime Temujin emerged as the strongest chieftain among anumber of contending leaders in a confederation of clanlineages. His principal opponents in this struggle had been

the Naiman Mongols, and he selected Karakorum (west-southwest of modern Ulaanbaatar, near modern Har Horin),their capital, as the seat of his new empire.

With the help of Chinese engineers, they graduallydeveloped the techniques that eventually would make themthe most accomplished and most successful besiegers in thehistory of warfare. As a result of a number of overwhelmingvictories in the field and a few successes in the capture offortifications deep within China, Ghengis had conquered andhad consolidated Jin territory as far south as the Great Wallby 1213.

In 1218 the governor of an eastern province ofKhwarizm mistreated several Mongol emissaries. Ghengisretaliated with a force of more than 200,000 troops, andKhwarizm was eradicated by 1220. A detachment of about25,000 Mongol cavalry, as part of the Khwarizmiancampaign, had crossed the Caucasus Mountains, had skirtedthe Caspian Sea, and had briefly invaded Europe.

Genghiss Successors:In compliance with the will of thedead khan, a kuriltaiat Karakorum in 1228 selected Ogedeias khan. Ogedei committed the Mongols, whose total

population could not have exceeded 1 million, to anoffensive war against the most populous nation on earth(Chinese Song Empire), while other Mongol armies wereinvading Iran, Anatolia, Syria, and the steppes of westernSiberia and Russia. By this time, ethnic Mongols were aminority of the Mongol armies. The remainder were Turks,Tatars, Tangut, Cumans, Bulghars, and other Inner Asianpeoples. Nonetheless, the confidence with which the Mongol

madexpat


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armies embarked on these farflung wars was almost asremarkable as the invariable success of their operations.

The European expedition was to be a major Mongoleffort, comparable in scope to the war against China. It wasto become a catastrophe of monumental proportions for

medieval East Europeans, who were confronted withdevastating wars and serious social disruption. InDecember 1237 Subetei and Batu led an army of 600,000across the frozen Volga River. The Mongols spreaddestruction and death through Russia. In December thearmy crossed the frozen Danube. Scouting parties raidedinto northern Italy toward Venice and Treviso, and up theDanube toward Vienna. But suddenly the advance halted.Word had come, by way of the incredibly swift Mongolmessenger service that Ogedei had died on December 11.

Taking seriously the legacy of world conquest,

Mengke (the next great Khan) decided to place primaryemphasis on completing the conquest of Asia, particularlyChina; Europe was to be dealt with later. Mengkeprosecuted the war in China with intensity and skill. Hisprincipal assistant was Khubilai, who was appointedviceroy in China. After the Song Dynasty had beendestroyed, in 1279 Khubilai declared himself emperor of aunited China with its capital at Dadu, and he established theYuan ("first," "beginning") Dynasty (1279-1368).

There were a number of reasons for the relativelyrapid decline of the Mongols as an influential power. Oneimportant factor was their failure to acculturate theirsubjects to Mongol social traditions. Another was thefundamental contradiction of a feudal, essentially nomadic,society's attempting to perpetuate a stable, centrallyadministered empire. The sheer size of the empire wasreason enough for the Mongol collapse. Possibly the mostimportant single reason was the disproportionately smallnumber of Mongol conquerors compared with the massesof subject peoples.

Mongolia in TransitionIn the early fifteenth century, the Mongols split into two groups, the Oirad in the Altai

region and the eastern group that later came to be known as the Khalkha in the area north of theGobi. Early in the sixteenth century, the Mongols in Central Asia were overwhelmed, however,by the Uzbeks who earlier had broken loose from Mongol authority. Altan Khan (1507-83)concluded a treaty with the Ming emperor in 1571, ending a struggle that had lasted more thanthree centuries.

Later in the seventeenth century, a new effort toward Mongol unity was attempted byGaldan Khan of the Dzungar. The Manchus had sent a large army into northern Mongolia to

Damdin Skhbaatar: His statueastride a horse dominates the squarenamed after him in Ulaanbaatar, his

face is on many currency notes andthere is a provincial capitalSukhbaatar.

Born in 1893, probably in what isnow Ulaanbaatar, Sukh (which means"axe"), as he was originally named,joined the Mongolian army in 1911.Sukhbaatar traveled to Russia to askfor aid from the Bolsheviks. By 1921,Sukhbaatar was made commander-in-chief of the Mongolian People'sRevolutionary Army.

In July of that year, he declaredMongolia's independence at what is

now known as Sukhbaatar Square anda Socialist state was established. Thisstate continued until early 1991, whendemocracy took over.Today, the legend of Sukhbaatar andhis role in Mongolian history is stilltaught. (http://www.mongolia-properties.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=131)


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confront Galdan in an effort to preempt any attempts at establishing a new Mongol empire. Theemployment of artillery had a decisive effect, and the Dzungar were routed. In May 1691, theprincipal Khalkha chiefs acknowledged Manchu overlordship in return for protection against theDzungar. The Russian and the Chinese empires continued their expansions into Inner Asiaduring the eighteenth century. They found it expedient to delimit the borders between the

respective areas of ancient Mongolia that they had conquered in the seventeenth century. Thiswas done by the Treaty of Kyakhta in 1727, which established the border between the portions ofMongolia controlled by China and those controlled by Russia.

With the end of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China in1911, revolutionary ferment also emerged in Mongolia. As early as July 1911, participants in ananti-Chinese meeting inYihe Huree had petitioned the Russian government--which long hadsought the independence of Outer Mongolia--for help against China. On September 14, 1921, theindependence of Mongolia was proclaimed, and on October 26 a legislative assembly, theNational Provisional Little Hural, opened. The formalization of Mongolian-Soviet relations thenwas accelerated. On November 5, 1921, a bilateral Agreement on Mutual Recognition andFriendly Relations was signed in Moscow. It recognized the People's Government of Mongolia,

and it facilitated the exchange of diplomatic representatives. In addition to concluding defensetreaties with the Soviet Union, Mongolia concentrated on building its army with Soviet guidanceand military aid. In 1936 military expenditures were doubled, and by 1938 more than half ofMongolia's budget was for defense.

The birth of perestroika in theformer Soviet Union and the democraticmovement in Eastern Europe were mirroredin Mongolia. The shift toward reformstarted in early 1990 when the firstorganized opposition group, the MongolianDemocratic Union, established. In the faceof extended street protests demanding fasterreform, the politburo of the MPRP resignedin February 1990. Mongolia's first multi-party elections for the People's Great Huralwere held on July 29, 1990. The newconstitution was adopted on January 12,1992. The last parliamentary elections wereheld in 2008 and presidential elections in2009, resulting in the election ofDemocratic Party candidate TsakhiagiinElbegdorj. In January 2012, the DemocraticParty also dominated parliamentaryelections. In the 2013 MongolianPresidential election, incumbent Elbegdorjwas reelected for a second term.

He was one of the leaders of the peaceful democraticrevolution in 1990 that ended more than 65 years ofcommunist rule in the country. He founded Mongolias first

independent newspaper Democracy, worked as its firsteditor-in-chief and helped to establish the countrys firstindependent TV station. Elbegdorj holds Master of Public

Administration from Harvard Universitys John F.KennedySchool of Government (2002) and Bachelors Degree in

Journalism from Land Forces Military Academy, Lviv,former USSR (1988), and served in the army.He was electedthe President of Mongolia on May 25, 2009, and sworn in onJune 18, 2009.(http://www.president.mn/eng/president/biography.php)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/mongolia/mn_glos.html#Yihehttp://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/mongolia/mn_glos.html#Yihe


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Timeline of Major Events in Mongol History_______Text taken directly from BBC News. Timeline: Mongolia. Available at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1235612.stm

1206-63 - Following unification of the Mongol tribes, Genghis Khan launches a campaign ofconquest. His sons and grandsons create the world's biggest land empire.

1380 - The Golden Horde is defeated by the Russian Prince Dmitriy Donskoy. Ming troopsdestroy the Mongol capital, Karakorum.

1727 - The Treaty of Kyakhta fixes the western border between the Russian and Manchuempires, confirming Qing dominion over Mongolia and Tuva.

1911 - The Qing dynasty falls and Outer Mongolia declares its independence. Russia and theRepublic of China recognize its autonomy.

1921 - With Red Army support, Mongolian revolutionaries drive out Chinese and Tsarist forcesand install the Mongolian "people's government"

1939- Mongolian and Soviet troops commanded by General Zhukov defeat an invasion byJapanese and Manchukuo forces in the Battle of Halhyn Gol (Nomonhan).

1945-46 Yalta conference agrees to preserve the status quo - Soviet control - in Mongolia.Mongolians vote for independence in a UN plebiscite. Mongolia is recognized by the Republicof China.

1973-81 - Mongolia accuses China of planning annexation, protests against Chinese leaders' callfor withdrawal of Soviet troops, accuses China of "aggressive intentions" and expels someChinese residents.

1986 - Gorbachev's Vladivostok speech opens the way to detente with China and the withdrawalof Soviet troops from Mongolia.

1990 - Street demonstrations force resignation of the MPRP Politburo. Political parties arelegalized. Elections to the Great Hural (parliament) are won by the MPRP, but 19 of the 50 seatsin a new standing legislature go to non-communists.

1993-The first direct presidential elections are won by Ochirbat, nominated by the National andSocial Democrats.

2005 November - President George W Bush becomes the first serving US leader to visitMongolia.


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Chanasan Makh

Buuz

MongoliasCultureMongolian CuisineText and pictures taken directly from: http://www.mongolfood.info/en/library/faq.html#monbarb

What some restaurants in the west offer as "Mongolian Barbeque" is completely

unknown in Mongolia. In most cases, it means to grill on a hot slab of steel. In fact, this type ofcooking has its roots in the Japanese Teppanyaki. A restaurant in Taiwan redeclared such anoffering as "mongolian" for the first time in the 1970-ties, probably because the "exotic"designation promised better marketing potential. The Idea caught on internationally and is todayimplemented worldwide primarily through franchise chains. However, the explanations typicallygiven about "historic Mongolian traditions" are entirely made up.

Many people still live as nomadic herders. The staples here derive from the milk or meatof Mongolia's "five snouts": horses, camels, sheep, goats, and cattle/yaks--plus the occasionalblow-torched marmot. Summer is milk-rich, winter in Mongolia means meat. In an article aboutMongolina cuisine, Michael A. Parks notes the taste of Mongolian food is proportional to howcold you were before eating it, Outside, it was fifteen

below. Sheep fat and salty tea hit a spot I didn't know Ihad.1

Traditional Dishes:Buuz - - Small filled pasta pockets. Buuz are cookedunder steam, and usually have an opening at the top.

Airag - - Airag is the traditional national beverage ofMongolia. The most important animal of the Mongols is thehorse. Horses don't only serve as riding animals, the mare'smilk also has a special status.

Chanasan Makh - - This is the mosttraditional, simplest, and ubiquitous dish of themongolian nomads. The meat of an animal (usuallymutton) is cut into handy chunks together with thebones, and boiled in salted water until ready.Originally, this was the full meal, today somevegetables or a condiment like Ketchup are usuallyadded. The meat is eaten with the fingers, using asharp knife.

The head of the family or the guest of honor

gets the first and largest portion, then the others mayhelp themselves. A strengthening meal like this isconsidered mandatory especially before departing ona journey. An early morning departure turns this

specific dish into a breakfast, which may take some getting used to for foreign visitors.

1Michael A. Parks. Hearty Food of Mongolian Winter The Atlantic, May 21, 2009http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2009/05/hearty-food-of-mongolian-winter/17923/


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The horse-head fiddle, orMorin Khuur

Mongol Arts

Morin Khuur:With its name translating to "horsefiddle" in Mongolian, theMorin Khuuris instantlyrecognizable by its distinctive carved horse-head

pegbox. The tuning pegs on either side are knownas the "horse's ears." The instruments two string

and bow are traditionally made of horsehair,although they are now often made of syntheticmaterial.

TheMorin Khuurplays a prominent role inMongolian music and culture. It is used toaccompany folk singers and, less frequently, as asolo instrument and in small ensembles.Traditionally, the people of Mongolia are nomadic

herders, and theMorin Khuur'sevocative shapeand ability to imitate the sound of neighing horsesreflect the importance of the horse to Mongoliannational identity.2

The Urtiin duuor long song:It is one of two major forms of Mongolian songs, other areshort song (Bogino duu). As a grand ritual form of expression associated with importantcelebrations and festivities, Urtiin duuplays a distinct and honoured role within Mongoliansociety. It is performed at weddings, the inauguration of a new home, the birth of a child, thebranding of foals or other social and religious festivities celebrated by Mongolias nomadiccommunities.

Urtiin duucan also be heard at the Naadam, a festivity celebrating sports competitions inwrestling, archery and horseracing. Urtiin duuis a lyrical chant made of 32 verses with a highlyornamented melody praising the beauty of the steppe, mountains and rivers, the love for parentsor close friends, expressing reflections on human destiny. It is characterized by an abundance ofornamentation, falsetto, a long and continuously flowing melody with rich rhythmical variation,an extremely wide vocal range and a free compositional form.

Urtiin duuare believed to date back 2,000 years and have been recorded in literary workssince the thirteenth century. A rich variety of regional styles has been preserved until today, andperformances as well as contemporary compositions still play a major role in the social andcultural life of nomads living in Mongolia and in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Republic,which is located in the northern part of the Peoples Republic of China.

The rising melody is slow and steady while the falling melody is often intercepted with alively triple continuant, imitating the pace of life in the grasslands. Performances andcompositions of Urtiin duuare closely linked to the nomadic pastoral way of life, which is stillwidely practiced in Mongolia.3

2http://www.silkroadproject.org/MusicArtists/Instruments/Morinkhuur/tabid/318/Default.aspx3http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/25apa_uk.htm


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The Secret History of the Mongols,shown above in traditional script:"The Secret History of theMongols" is the first literarymonument concerning the Mongols.It is believed to have been written inthe year 1240 A.D. The author of itstill remains unknown. This is theonly immediate source ofinformation about medievalmongolian life and self-consideration and also it is theinvaluable treasure for historians,

linguists, ethnographs andethnologist engaged in the field oforiental studies.

The copy of The Secret Historywhich has survived to our dayswere transcribed with Chinesecharacters from some originalmanuscript in one of the mongolianscripts. Some scholars believe it tobe the Uighur script, othersproposed h`Pags-pa script(Quadratschrift) only few think that

it was originally recorded byChinese characters. This copy waswritten about 14th century andcontained Mongolian text (inChinese phonetic transcription) andthe Chinese translation.

Literature: The Mongolian nation has a great cultural heritageof oral and written literature. From early times it was usedwidely when educating and bringing up children and this is thereason that folklore is still known to all Mongolians. It takes theforms of tales, legends, proverbs, wise sayings, teaching, riddles,

verses, poetic verse, heroic epics and odes. Since it is an oralform, all of them would be narrated or sung to theaccompaniment of national stringed instruments such as theMorin khuur (Horse head fiddle).

There are a lot of Mongolian famous epics such as Geser,Jangar, and Khaan Kharangui. In the 17th and 18th centuries,translated books on religion, history and literature dominated.Through these and other efforts, the spiritual life of Mongols wasenriched by the ancient Indian poetry of Kalidasa, the poeticaltheory of Dandina and the philosophical treaties of Nagarjuna.

Contemporary Mongolian literature began in the 1920s

and is represented by famous poets and writers D.Natsagdorj,Ts.Damdinsuren, B.Renchin, S.Buyannemekh, D.Tsevegmed,D.Namdag, Ch.Lodoidamba, B.Yavuukhulan, Ch.Chimed,L.Tudev. D.Purevdorj and others. More than a thousand worksby 100 Mongolian writers were translated into 20 foreignlanguages. 4

4http://www.ub-mongolia.mn/mongolia/culture-mongolia/literature.html


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Folklore: Story of Morin-Khuur

_______From: http://members.tripod.com/Mongolian_Page/stories.html#top

A long time ago, a young man named Skhe was living in the steppes far far away. One winternight, he was awakened by a awful whining of a horse and he found a dying white mare with asnow-white newborn foal on her side in the pale light of the winter moon. He raised the whitefoal with great care and the foal also had become very fond of him.

A few years later, the white foal became a handsome white racing horse by Skhe's excellenttaming skills.

One day, he heard there would be a Naadam (traditional sport game of the Mongols, includinghorse racing, wrestling and archery) in the Khushuu (administrative unit, equal to a County) andhe went to the Naadam to try his luck.

At the same time, the governor of the Khushuu was a very bad man at the time and had manynice racing horses to win in the Naadam.

Miracle happened, Skhe's white horse defeated all the nice racing horses of the governor andwon the Naadam. However, this was also the beginning of the sad story.

In the very next night, Skhe was awakened by a heartbreaking whining sound In the very nextnight, Skhe was awakened by a heartbreaking whining sound of a horse.

He rushed out of his Ger (yurt of the Mongols) and found out his dearly loved white horse was

lying on the ground with arrows all over his body in the pale light of the full moon.

Skhe burst into tears and with his great grief, he suddenly lost his consciousness.

However, in his dream, he was able to meet his horse again. the horse said to Skhe: " Don't feelsorry, my master, I know you are going to miss me very much, so I give you an instrument,please use my tail hair as the string and when you are missing me, play it."

Skhe woke up and made the instrument, known as the Morin-Khuur [Image] later, according towhat the white horse had told him.

You can still feel the heart-touching tone of this wonderful instrument which have accompaniedthe Mongols for many hundred years.


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Select Bibliography of Sources on Mongolia

Avery, Martha. Women of Mongolia. Boulder, CO : Asian Art & Archaeology ; Seattle, WA :Distributed in the U.S. by University of Washington Press, c1996

Becker, Jasper. Mongolia: Travels in the Untamed Land. London : Tauris Parke Paperbacks,2008

Berger, Patricia Ann. Mongolia : the Legacy of Chinggis Khan. London ; San Francisco, CA :Thames and Hudson in association with Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 1995

Calfee, Julia. Spirits and Ghosts: Journeys through Mongolia. New York : PowerHouse Books,2003

Chaliand, Grard. Nomadic Empires : from Mongolia to the Danube. New Brunswick, N.J. :Transaction Publishers, c2004

Heissig, Walther. The Religions of Mongolia. Berkeley : University of California Press, c1980

Jeffries, Ian. Mongolia : a Guide to Economic and Political Developments. London ; New York :Routledge, 2007

Kaplonski, Christopher. Truth, History and Politics in Mongolia: the Memory of Heroes. London; New York : RoutledgeCurzon, 2004

Marsh, Peter K. The Horse-Head Fiddle and the Cosmopolitan Reimagination of Tradition ofMongolia. New York : Routledge, 2009

May, Timothy Michael. Culture and customs of Mongolia Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press,2009

Micheli, Silvio. Mongolia: in Search of Marco Polo and Other Adventures. London, Hollis &Carter, 1967

Rockhill, William Woodville. Diary of a journey through Mongolia and Thibet in 1891 and1892. Washington, Smithsonian Institution, 1894

Rossabi, Morris. Modern Mongolia: from Khans to Commissars to Capitalists. Berkeley :

University of California Press, c2005

Weatherford, J. McIver. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters ofGenghis Khan Rescued his Empire. New York : Crown Publishers, c2010

Weatherford, J. McIver. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York :Crown, c2004

ceres country profile - mongolia

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